St. Petersburg Women's Open Golf Tournament (LPGA)

The St. Petersburg Women's Open was a golf tournament that ran from the early days of the LPGA Tour, the mid-1950s, until the late 1980s. It was played in Florida and was often known, in its first few decades, as the Orange Blossom Open or Orange Blossom Classic.

First played: 1954

Last played: 1989

The biggest winner in this tournament was Kathy Whitworth, who won it five times. She was the first golfer to win the same tournament five times on the LPGA Tour.

There are many multiple winners in the event's history; those who won in back-to-back years, in addition to Whitworth, are Marilynn Smith, Jane Blalock and Hollis Stacy. Louise Suggs' win in 1962 was the very last of Suggs' 61 career LPGA Tour victories. Amy Alcott's win in 1975 was the first of her 29 career LPGA victories.

During the 1963 St. Petersburg Women's Open, Judy Kimball broke an all-time LPGA record by taking only 20 putts during an 18-hole round. Whose record did Kimball break? Her own: In a 1961 tournament, Kimball had set a record with just 21 putts in a round. Kimball's 20 putts for 18 holes remained the LPGA record until 1978.

Winners of the St. Petersburg Women's Open

1989 — Betsy King, 275
1988 — Rosie Jones, 275
1987 — Cindy Hill, 271
1986 — Pat Bradley, 272
1985 — Alice Miller, 272
1984 — Vicki Fergon, 275
1983 — Hollis Stacy, 277
1982 — Hollis Stacy, 204
1981 — JoAnne Carner, 215
1980 — Dot Germain, 209
1979 — Jane Blalock, 205
1978 — Jane Blalock, 212
1977 — Judy Rankin, 208
1976 — JoAnne Carner, 209
1975 — Amy Alcott, 207
1974 — Kathy Whitworth, 209
1973 — Sandra Haynie, 216
1972 — Carol Mann, 213
1971 — Jan Ferraris, 218
1970 — Kathy Whitworth, 216
1969 — Kathy Whitworth, 216
1968 — Kathy Whitworth, 213
1967 — Marilynn Smith, 283
1966 — Marilynn Smith, 285
1965 — Kathy Whitworth, 281
1964 — Mary Lena Faulk, 289
1963 — Mickey Wright, 288
1962 — Louise Suggs, 280
1961 — Mickey Wright, 279
1960 — Beverly Hanson, 287
1959 — Louise Suggs, 282
1958 — Betsy Rawls, 291
1957 — Mary Lena Faulk, 279
1956 — Kathy Cornelius, 287
1955 — Patty Berg, 292
1954 — Beverly Hanson, 216

Also known as: Carried many different names over the years, including St. Petersburg Orange Classic, St. Petersburg Orange Blossom Open, Orange Blossom Open, Orange Blossom Classic, S&H Golf Classic and USX Golf Classic

Golf Courses: Sunset Golf and Country Club, Pasadena Golf Club and Seminole Lakes Country Club, all in the St. Petersburg, Fla., area.